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By Lonnie Cruse
I'm addicted to a certain farm game on the Internet. I spend hours fertilizing crops, feeding chickens, harvesting crops, moving buildings, grabbing bonuses, sending gifts to friends, etc. Did I mention I'm addicted?
I don't know who creates these things, but they should be strung up and shot. Or made to feed my chickens. Whichever is most painful. Or most useful to me.
Social networks are HUGELY popular. They are also addictive. They can also be risky to your privacy. Meaning sometimes stuff gets hacked or copied or whatever off these sites. Visitors and players (like me, sigh) must be careful about what they share on these sites. I'm always appalled when someone posts on a public site that they are going out of town. Hellooooo? Robbers read these sites too!
Someone recently posted a link to use to check our personal information. The site that the link took me too listed my home address, phone number, and lots of other personal stuff I didn't want (and had NOT given permission for) listed on the Internet. I made them take it down. That doesn't mean it won't show up again. I have to be vigilant. So do you, if you are on the Net at all. Maybe even if you aren't, you fill out credit information which people SWEAR won't be shared, but sometimes it is. How else would your annual income show up on the Internet?
So, bottom line, have fun out there on the Net. Buy a farm, feed your chickens, plant your crops, connect with old friends or high school buds, whatever, but be sure, every now and then, to do a search on your own name and see what pops up. You might be shocked. You might want to make them take your information down. Meanwhile, if you want me to feed YOUR chickens, I'll be happy to, but you have to "friend" me on Farmville. I'll be the little avatar standing in the middle of the chickens. You can't miss me.
Care to share any Internet problems you've had? Thanks for stopping by!
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5 comments:
I've not been on facebook long and my feelings are a mixed bag. While I love it that a couple of people I went to high school with have found me through FB, I hate the fact that I'm constantly having to go in a change settings to keep my inof from being shared with everyone and his brother.
I also rue the time I now waste fiddling around on FB. I don't do farms, aquariums, mosters, castles, wizardary or whatever, but I do play farkle, bejeweled, scramble and 3 D Mahjongg.
Sigh.
Caryn in St.Louis
I know more than one writer who appears to spend all of (their?) waking time on the Internet somewhere--they post on FB plus every blog/loop/list in their genre, and respond to every comment in minutes. My question to them is: when do you find time to write?
The Internet can be fascinating, but it's a huge time-suck. (And I'll admit I was once hooked on Tetris, a long time ago, to the extent that I dreamed about little squares falling, falling...)
Oh, YEA! I'm not the only addicted person here. Whew!
Lonnie, those games are supposedly a gateway for third parties into your private info. I avoid them, and I don't accept any FB "gifts" sent by friends.
That's spooky, Lonnie. You're right--vigilance is the answer.
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